The Alpha Enigma

Gear (Unreconciled) examines entanglement theory and time travel in this fast-paced but convoluted sci-fi mystery and series launch. Dr. Timothy Ryan is mesmerized by the mysterious, amnesiac Prisoner Alpha, nicknamed Gray, as soon as Gray arrives at Grantham Barracks, a military psychiatric hospital. He studies Gray for clues as to who she may be, but her behavior is perplexing: she draws odd, abstract sketches and sporadically speaks in a broken, unidentifiable language. Meanwhile in Egypt, archaeologist Reid Farmer unearths a tomb that proves impossible to place in time. Gray reacts violently when she sees news of the discovery on TV, and soon vanishes from her cell. After Ryan is blamed for Gray’s disappearance, his other patients at Grantham set out to prove his innocence by tracking down Gray. As the large cast works to understand the secrets of the tomb and how it connects to Gray, alternate timelines and dimensions encroach on the present timeline, putting it in danger of unraveling. The breakneck pacing and cinematic action sequences are sure to excite, but Gear’s plot-driven narrative makes little time for characterization—the female cast is especially shortchanged—and leans heavily on exposition. Despite some hiccups in execution, fans of military SF and time travel will be entertained. Agent: Matt Bialer, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (Nov.)